Monsieur Lecoq eBook

Gevrol, hitherto an attentive listener, burst into
a loud laugh. “Still that Russian princess,”
said he.

Neither the magistrate nor the young detective relished
this unseasonable jest. “You forget yourself,
sir,” said M. Segmuller severely. “You
forget that the sneers you address to your comrade
also apply to me!”

The General saw that he had gone too far; and while
glancing hatefully at Lecoq, he mumbled an apology
to the magistrate. The latter did not apparently
hear him, for, bowing to the governor, he motioned
Lecoq to follow him away.

“Run to the Prefecture of Police,” he
said as soon as they were out of hearing, “and
ascertain how and under what pretext this woman obtained
permission to see Polyte Chupin.”

XVII

On his way back to his office, M. Segmuller mentally
reviewed the position of affairs; and came to the
conclusion that as he had failed to take the citadel
of defense by storm, he must resign himself to a regular
protracted siege. He was exceedingly annoyed at
the constant failures that had attended all Lecoq’s
efforts; for time was on the wing, and he knew that
in a criminal investigation delay only increased the
uncertainty of success. The more promptly a crime
is followed by judicial action the easier it is to
find the culprit, and prove his guilt. The longer
investigation is delayed the more difficult it becomes
to adduce conclusive evidence.

In the present instance there were various matters
that M. Segmuller might at once attend to. With
which should he begin? Ought he not to confront
May, the Widow Chupin, and Polyte with the bodies of
their victims? Such horrible meetings have at
times the most momentous results, and more than one
murderer when unsuspectedly brought into the presence
of his victim’s lifeless corpse has changed color
and lost his assurance.

Then there were other witnesses whom M. Segmuller
might examine. Papillon, the cab-driver; the
concierge of the house in the Rue de Bourgogne—­where
the two women flying from the Poivriere had momentarily
taken refuge; as well as a certain Madame Milner, landlady
of the Hotel de Mariembourg. In addition, it
would also be advisable to summon, with the least
possible delay, some of the people residing in the
vicinity of the Poivriere; together with some of Polyte’s
habitual companions, and the landlord of the Rainbow,
where the victims and the murderer had apparently
passed the evening of the crime. Of course, there
was no reason to expect any great revelations from
any of these witnesses, still they might know something,
they might have an opinion to express, and in the
present darkness one single ray of light, however faint,
might mean salvation.

Obeying the magistrate’s orders, Goguet, the
smiling clerk, had just finished drawing up at least
a dozen summonses, when Lecoq returned from the Prefecture.
M. Segmuller at once asked him the result of his errand.